DFA Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. (FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Monday directed officials to speed up the process of repatriating 13 Filipino seafarers who have been stranded for 17 months on board their vessel in China.
“Oh God. Yes. I heard about them. Right now. @DFAPHL whatever it takes including me begging. Tagal na ito. Repat flight. Here first. Sarah (Arriola, undersecretary for the Deparment of Foreign Affairs [DFA]),” Locsin said in a post on Twitter.
The seafarers are crew members of Greek-flagged bulk carrier MV Angelic Power currently anchored in South China. The vessel reportedly came from Indonesia. One of the crew claimed they were abandoned by the shipowner who also withheld their salaries since the start of the year.